Hello everyone. I hope you read chapter one and enjoyed it. This story is a continuation of the Shadows of Resentment series. Thank you for the feedback on chapter one.
In this chapter Darius enlists and goes through basic training. Just to let you know I am no expert on anything military, so I read a little and wrote the story based on my interpretation of what could happen. It is not my intention to offend any of the great people who have sacrificed and served in any branch of the military. So please remember this in a fictional piece of writing and not meant to be taken literally.
I hope you enjoy this chapter and remember to vote and comment after you have read it. Thank you. IR2R
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Darius exited the bus as they arrived at the base. He saw different groups of soldiers engaged in different activities. The new recruits were lead to the first area where they were immediately made aware of their new lives. The men had their head shaved, endured physical exams and were inoculated. The men and women were separated and their new drill sergeants went to talk to each group.
His first few nights there were the hardest. He missed his family. He was now around people he didn't know expected to tow the line. He believed this was the right choice, but believing that didn't negate his pain.
After getting through the first few days, Darius had to focus. He was distracted and constantly had his Drill Sergeant in his face. So finally, he decided to a stay focused. The routine drill and practices gave his mind something new to focus on.
The first day they started combat training, Darius was happy deep down inside. He could finally relieve some of the pent up aggressions. He watched as his comrades practiced well honed defensive techniques.
One guy, the big red hair white guy, was really good. His name was Horace Tate, nickname, Horse. Darius wanted to challenge him. Instead he got Jones. Lonnie Jones. Lonnie Jones was a meathead with a big mouth. Jones loved to run his mouth, within two days he'd zeroed in on guys that he target, Darius being one of his victims.
Darius looked forward to shutting this guy up. Sergeant Lee saw the gleam in Darius eye when placed in the center with Lonnie. He allowed the two men to fight it out with Darius being the victor. Horse congratulated Darius on taking out Lonnie.
That should have ended any problems between these two men, but Lonnie didn't get the message. One night, Darius was having a rough time being separated from his family. He was looking at a picture of his girls thinking about them.'
Lonnie snatched the picture from him and ripped it. He then taunted him. Darius saw red. Having taken all he could off of this guy, Darius grabbed him. Horse and two other guys had to pull the two men apart.
Sergeant Lee came in and assessed the situation. He knew Lonnie was a nuisance, and had already spoken to him earlier about his antics. Apparently, Jones didn't follow orders well.
Granger, he'd been warned about this guys temper, but tonight was the first time he'd caught a glimpse of it. Granger needed help learning control and he was just the man to help him. So Sergeant Lee had two guys to escort Lonnie to the infirmary and two guys to escort Darius to his home where he could place him under surveillance until he calmed down.
He essentially isolated Darius. For two weeks, Darius was on extreme work detail. The only time he didn't work was during training and when he counseled with Sergeant Lee.
In one of the sessions with Sergeant Lee, Darius talked about his family. Sergeant Lee realized how attached he was to his family members and how he believed he'd failed them. When Darius talked about attacking Cameron, Sergeant Lee was still and silent.
If anyone had simply asked this kid why, they would understand what happened. He wasn't there that night and he got it.
This was a nineteen year old kid who had just met the love of his life. His baby sister was in danger and with his natural protective instincts; he was already on high alert.
He sees his girlfriend with another man and she would not talk to him. Eventually he gets time with her and for a second forgets that he's supposed to be watching his sister.
Some cretin tries to rape his sister. When he learned that she'd been hurt, he lost control.
The music was loud and he didn't hear his friend's cries for help. All he knew was that his sister got hurt. When he made it to the front, some guy was holding her and he attacked.
He never wanted to hurt his friend, just protect what was his. Protect his sister, but he almost killed his friend. His friend, that was like a brother. He should have gone to prison, but he didn't.
He'd apologized, begged for forgiveness, but he still felt guilty. What if Cameron had died from that attack? He could never really forgive himself.
He learned that he'd gotten Dee pregnant. He couldn't even get a job to help support his children. He couldn't move out of his parent's home.
If his Dad had not given him a job, he had no idea how he could have helped Dee with his girls.
He couldn't go to college because all of his scholarships were rescinded; hell, they barely let him graduate high school. His Mom made a plea to the school board to let him finish high school.
He asked Dee to marry him and she always refused, because he wasn't good enough. Then one day she met someone else. A man that was better than him. That's when he lost the woman that was his everything, Deidre.
She fell in love with the other man and let him go. He held in too tight, but he felt she and his girls were all he had to hold on to. Yet, he still lost her..
He was stuck, stagnated, and then he decided to fight. He had to find a way out that's when he decided to enlist.
Sergeant Lee liked this kid. He had guts and a strong moral code that many could admire. He would help him through this and hopefully he'd become the man he'd always wanted to be.
For the first three weeks of training, Darius had to learn to follow orders. He had a hard time becoming a parrot, but after hours of extensive duties and extremely hard physical training sessions he soon caught on. On Sunday's during down time, he made sure to call his family and let them know he was doing fine.
He called his parent's first and then he'd call Deidre to check on his girls. The first time he called Dee, his heart beat like a drum. The phone rang, and then finally someone answered.
"Hello," Jason's baritone voice filled the line. A part of Darius rose up in anger, and then he remembered they weren't together anymore.
"Hey, Jason. I wanted to check on my girls. Is Deidre around?" He asked, forcing his voice to remain calm even though he fumed at the thought of the other man being with his kids.
"Um, sure. She just went to take the girls to the bathroom. Hold on. She was waiting for your call." Jason explained. Then Darius heard him call Deidre.
"Hello, Darius how are you?" she asked clearly concerned about his well being.
"I'm good, learning a lot. I wanted to check on my girls, how are they?" he queried.
Deidre exhaled, "They are fine. They miss their Daddy. You know that tape you made reading to them. They listen to it every night. It helps. Hold on. I'll let you talk to them." Then he heard her call the girls.
"Cammie, Rory, daddy wants to speak to you."
"DADDY!" he heard his angels squeal as the rushed to talk to him.
He spoke to his girls for a while and then Deidre picked up. She made him promise to be safe and that he would call next week.
He called Derrick and Dawn next. He talked to his brother and assured him he was fine. Dawn was due to give birth soon, and Derrick was rattled. There were some complications with DJ, and he was worried for his wife this time around.
Darius encouraged his brother and told him everything would be fine. They talked a bit more and then he had one more call to make. He called Sierra and Cameron last. After reassuring his baby sis, that he was alright, he made her promise to take care of herself and his new niece or nephew.
Before he realized it, four whole weeks had passed. Darius now had better control of his temper, and learned to control his outburst. Honestly, lashing out and beating the crap out of Lonnie was the best thing that could have happened to him. After speaking with Sergeant Lee, he learned techniques to help him gain control.
Now that the he knew how to follow orders, the fun part began. They learned to fire weapons. Darius saw a young female recruit being berated by her sergeant and for some reason; it didn't sit well with him. He never liked seeing women being disrespected.
He wanted to stop, but he knew that whatever it was, her commanding officer was only helping her get better. So he took a deep breath, and calmed down.
Today was the day he tackled the obstacle course. Many of his comrades had two or more tries. He failed his first time, but he doubled his efforts. He thought about his brother and how he always stood with him. He imagined that Derrick was there egging him on, cheering for him. This time he flew through the obstacle course in record time.
Then he saw her, the girl that was being berated prepare to go again. After the dressing down he'd just witness, he hoped she succeeded. She did and in record time. Darius cheered for this dark-skinned goddess with the biggest and clearest brown eyes he'd ever seen.
She was solidly build, weighed around one hundred forty pounds, tough. She had a dark chocolate brown complexion with black hair. She had the brightest brown eyes were, and the cutest cleft in her chin; she was so lovely. Dressed in the standard fatigues that they all wore, she could not hide her sensuality. Darius wondered what treasures lie beneath.
Whoa, I'm not over Dee. I shouldn't even be thinking about another woman. But hey, Dee moved on. She's with someone else.
He felt a brief moment of pain at the thought.
I have to move on too.
"Darius, man what are you looking at?" his bunk mate Horace "Horse" Tate asked as he walked up following Darius' line of vision.
"Oh, her. Man give up. She's not interested. I laid my southern boy charm on her and she shot me down. Now if she can shoot down a body and face like this, son. She's not interested in men." Horse told Darius jokingly.
At this point, LaCynthia had gone back to her barracks as Darius watched her walk away. He wanted to at least get her name, because she peaked his interest. Hopefully, they could be friends. He would not dare dream of more.
